Since I have been back

Since I have been back from the short patrol, my eight year old daughter has asked me to wake her for the morning sitting. I think this is pretty cool and I will get back to that in a bit.

During this morning’s sit, a thought bubble popped up, regarding my daughters strange request as she sat on the other side of the room. “What is she doing, sitting there?” Then I turned that though bubble inward and asked myself the same question. “What am I doing, sitting here?”
The answer I gave myself at the time is that I was chasing stories and not mentally sitting full lotus, and that I had better get back to the matter at hand.

Later while brewing some tea I recalled that I was her age when I first caught an interest in the way. And I was her age when I first attempted to read the Dhammapada. I thought about how lucky she is to have (gulp) me to sit with and found myself a bit envious of her situation. I know this sounds a little conceited to me too as I type it out. It is what it is.

I am grateful for my parents, for sowing the seeds to allow me to have become the person I am today.

I am grateful to Mike Cross, because I think largely thanks to his efforts I know that despite my end-gaining tendencies I recognize that I am still flawed, but doing my best now to inhibit the tendency to play out the worst of those flaws.

I am grateful for my wife for putting up with what most people might think is eccentricity.

And to my children, for the constant lessons they provide.